REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION WEEK
BUS TOUR KICK OFF
WASHINGTON, D.C.
MONDAY, MAY 13, 2002
10:30 AM
Good
morning, and thank you very much for that kind introduction.
And welcome, all of you, to the kick off of our National Transportation
Week Bus Tour.
I
really appreciate the honor of being here with you, the leaders of our
transportation industry, and in particular, Pete Ruane, of the American Road and
Transportation Builders Association, and Kathleen Marvaso, of AAA.
Your
organizations are both celebrating one-hundred years of service to our
country’s transportation network, and I would just like to say.... Happy
Birthday!
For
the next four days, I’ll be traveling across America, to spread one important
message: that our Nation’s transportation system is better, and safer, and
more efficient than ever!
In
the world we live in, technological advances and innovations occur so frequently
that they rarely make headlines anymore, so you can see how easy it would be to
take for granted the wonder of our transportation system.
And
the twentieth century shines brightly with the milestones we’ve reached in
transportation.
We've
come a long ways since the nation’s first concrete roads began to weave out of
Ohio. Today, there are
approximately 43,000 miles of interstate highway in the United States.
We've
come a long ways since the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroads met
in Utah to create the nation's first transcontinental rail connection. Today, America's railroads transport more than 1.3 trillion
ton-miles of freight.
And
when the Wright Brothers lifted off the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in
the first effective powered airplane in 1903, who would have thought that one
day man would fly faster than sound travels, or that he would travel to the Moon
as well?
History
shows that as our nation expanded, Americans came to rely upon what would
eventually become one of our most cherished freedoms:
the freedom of mobility.
Last
fall, the world watched in horror as a very determined and a very deliberate
enemy exploited that freedom, and attempted to strike terror in the heart of
America.
It
was no accident that our transportation system was the means to this enemy’s
end.
Our
roadways, waterways, highways, airways, and railways connect millions of
Americans to each other and to the world. They
ensure the prompt and safe movement of people, and goods, in and out of our
country, and into international cities and markets.
For
many of us today, it is difficult to imagine the awe, and fascination, that
previous generations of Americans must have felt as they realized the potential
of America’s developing transportation system.
They understood the promise it held – the promise of freedom of
mobility.
But
on September 11th, we all realized – perhaps for the first time in
our lives – just how precious that freedom is.
And
as the first flights resumed in the days following the terrorist attacks, none
of us could ever look to the skies again, and take that freedom for granted.
But
let us remind ourselves, that our freedom of mobility has not been destroyed,
and that American innovation is alive and growing.
In
cities across America, we continue to make progress in the advancement of our
transportation system. I certainly
didn’t have to travel very far to find a perfect example.
Here
on the 14th Street Bridges, the Virginia Department of Transportation
and the District of Columbia Department of Public Works are making significant
safety and traffic operation improvements.
This
project will improve access to federal lands in Virginia and the District of
Columbia, it will facilitate commuter traffic to downtown Washington, DC, and it
will make travel safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.
Certainly,
the success of this project is due, in part, to the dedication of leaders like
Representative Jim Moran, who worked hard to ensure that the 14th
Street Bridges received attention.
Your
work will improve access to the Columbia Island Marina on the parkway in
addition to improving roads within the District of Columbia.
And
so, on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration, it brings me a great deal
of pleasure to announce this grant for $11 million to assist in completing these
important projects.
And, thanks to you for continuing the effort that our ancestors started so long ago – the effort to give our nation the safest, the most efficient, and the most innovative transportation system possible.
Now
before I hit the road, I’d be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
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